1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing an edible material, i.e., a material to be used as an ingredient of foodstuffs, from soybeans. More specifically, it relates to a process for producing an edible material containing soybean cell walls, which has good taste and mouthfeel and which can be used for the same use as that of bean jam, mashed potato, hard-boiled egg yolk and the like or can be used for gelation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bean jam is an edible material having a granular or particulate appearance with less crumbly property and, usually, it is made from red beans ("adzuki" beans) by conversion of starch particles enveloped in cell membranes of red beans to .alpha.-starch, and penetration of sugar into the beans to delay retrogradation of the .alpha.-starch to .beta.-starch. The mashed potato is food or an ingredient of foodstuffs in which starch is enveloped in cells and which has particulate appearance or cream-like mouthfeel. Also, an egg yolk of hard-boiled egg has such unique mouthfeel that it is crumbled into particles upon pressing it in the mouth, and is different from an egg yolk obtained by opening an egg, breaking the egg yolk membrane and heat-coagulating it, because the latter egg yolk has elastic rubber-like mouthfeel.
In case of soybeans which contain little starch particles, it has also been known that a bean jam-like edible material can be made therefrom. However, any product containing soybean cell walls and having good taste and mouthfeel is not yet obtained.
For example, although a method using defatted soybeans or soybean flour made from defatted soybeans as a raw material has been known, there is a problem that, generally, the product obtained has rough mouthfeel and astringent taste. In order to improve the taste, sometimes, the product is subjected to washing with alcohol or the like. However, this requires a complicated processing step.
In order to solve the problem, to use whole soybeans as a raw material has been proposed. When using whole soybeans, as disclosed in JP-A 61-104758, JP-A 62-138161, etc., generally, they are soaked and swollen in water, followed by processing. However, another problem is a bad taste due to "boiled bean flavor" in addition to insufficient removal of undesired "bean flavor".
The main object of the present invention is to develop an edible material containing soybean cell walls, which has good taste and mouthfeel and which can be used for the same use as that of bean jam, mashed potato, hard-boiled egg yolk and the like or can be used for gelation.
This object as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.